I recall that blizzard stated that they would keep the game close to the original, and not make such an evolution like wc2 -> wc3. Can't find it atm though :/

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"There is a simple, logical explanation... and there is nothing under the bed.”

People just want SC1 with a few little changes (for example, ultralisks might have a use now) and a slight graphics update, I don't see why you get so worked up about it Lim

I really enjoyed Fallout 3 and I'm all for big changes to keep up with the times, but when your target audience doesn't want a big change, they want the same formula revamped a tiny bit, why would you go against what they want?

For example, I would hate it if Blizzard took Diablo 3 miles away from Diablo 2.

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a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a pig

SC2' destiny is to succeed SC as brilliant and balanced multiplayer game. This is what the hardcore fans, who are still playing this game, demand.
I dont see why Blizzard should listen to anybody else who doesnt even play the game anymore.

But afaik Blizzard is working on a new franchise and thats propably where we will see more innovation. In about 10 years.

I am getting worked up about it because it pisses me off on a very personal level. Unlike most of you I don't get to play through 2-3 games a month but rather a dozen - good or bad, most of them ripping each other off. In all of that I can't find almost a single title to look forward to - every big hit seems to be a rehash of something, Bioshock 2, MW2, SC2, L4D2... Don't get me wrong - I can enjoy well done unoriginality. Take Torchlight - I had fun with it although it was like Fate 1 and 2 with even more Diablo mixed in - however, it was cheap and enjoyable - for the one week or so I played it - I got my worth of entertainment out of it. SC2 won't be cheap and it won't give me that time span of enjoyment either. Multiplayer will be its lasting appeal? Well, if I was looking for EXACTLY the same multiplayer SC always had I wouldn't have stopped playing it like in 1999 or 2000. I guess it's just not a title aimed at me but you know - it might have been, if they changed things up and tried attracting a new audience instead of sucking off fanboys' dicks.

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War does not determine who is right - only who is left. - Bertrand Russell

I fully agree with the points you make about Blizzard, Lim. However, I believe the base of the problem is that they've spent the last decade focusing solely on WoW. W3 was a very good game and it did bring a fresh vibe to the series. Even WoW, in it's original form was a great stept forward. It's about the same time that they axed Starcraft:Ghost that they've also started bringing new content for the sake of sales, not of the gaming industry.

Starcraft2 is, imo, supposed to bring cosmetic changes to the original title (such as better use of the enviorment in the maps) and manage to appeal to the new generation of gamers who haven't played the original title. Considering the current state of RTSes, where the last solid title was back in 2006 with Company of Heroes, I say it's a great ideea.

And it's not that I don't appreciate change. I'm a diehard AD&D fan when it comes to RPGs but I had no problem with the stripdown the Star Wars KotOR series did to the rules in order to make the game more fast paced. Innovation however does not mean quality. We've seen this over and over again. My point was that I would rather play a polished old title, than a new one that's crap because it tries to revamp and fails miserably at it.

What the PC industry is missing right now is not innovation, it's quality. Half-Life is not a legend because people remember how they had never used crates before it, it's a legend because it was pure quality, at each corner. Or if you want an opposed example, people have forgotten Homeworld despide it's amazing innovations because, as a whole, it failed to produce an entertaining gaming experience, because if 12 years later you strip down it's innovations there's nothing left.

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Comfortably Numb

Daggerfall!

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SaintK: I'm completely lost

I agree with Lim-Dul on his points about Blizzard. They just took the easy way out. Instead of taking a risk and trying to make a great game, they just take the great game they already have and put an UI update on top of it. It's still a great game, but basically the same as we already had for a decade.

Nevertheless, I really like the beta. It's the good old StarCraft, which I used to play a lot in multiplayer. So I'm sure I'm gonna buy all 3 parts of SC2 and enjoy every minute of the campaign and get several hours of multiplayer fun out of it. But I also know, that SC2 won't have the long replay value SC1 (or HL, CS, TF) had, because I already played "that game" for several years.

Pretty mooch

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a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a pig

Im pretty sure SC2 will entertain me for a long time. Not because of the singleplayer, not because of the multiplayer, but because of the Galaxy Editor, a tool more powerful than the already awesome World Editor from WC3.

Blizzard gives us the tools and thousands of fans will deliver the innovation that some of you seek.
~99% of the user created content will be crap, but the 1% left will last for months, if not years.

Fair enough, sebas - I value quality over pointless innovation too, as I wrote in my post.
However, the industry is not lacking in quality - Bioshock 2, MW2, BBC2, AC2, the new Zelda NDS games - all scream quality and yet are bland beyond recognition.

Innovative games are not forgotten - they are just not played for one reason or another because they didn't catch mass appeal BUT have a small but dedicated fanbase that will keep them alive and in people's memories for decades. Homeworld not in the slightest forgotten and the way it has paved was taken up by many successful titles, the most recent one that comes to my memory would be Sins of a Solar Empire. Neither was Total Annihilation, undeniably a far more innovative title than SC1 - fans made a totally new custom engine for it (the same thing Blizzard did to SC, basically *cough cough*) and Chris Taylor went on to create the Supreme Commander series which are Total Annihilation in all but the title (yet not as brilliant as the original).

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War does not determine who is right - only who is left. - Bertrand Russell

Sins of a Solar Empire is a prime example of a game which succeeded to be great and introduce innovations, although I'm not sure how popular it actually turned out to be.

Bioshock 2 tried to go from a different angle, and made the game a bit weird, no where near the quality of Bioshock. MW2 is pretty much MW but with the most annoying shitty parts multiplied by 5 just to please the mass markets, that's why it has no competitive scene. Personally I don't see how anyone can get enjoyment from it, or think that it was £40-50 well spent, but it looks like I'm in the minority with this opinion

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a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a pig

Sins of a Solar Empire sold like 100.000 copies in the first week alone, if I remember Brad Wardell's blog entry. It was also nominated for and/or won many Game of the Year awards. So yeah, it did well and I'm glad it did. ^^
Like all of Stardock's games it came with absolutely no DRM by they way, which would make some publishers reflect on their position you'd think.

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War does not determine who is right - only who is left. - Bertrand Russell

We know it made Ubisoft think, right?

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Comfortably Numb

Lol, that gif is awesome!

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Ze Ãœbermensch

I just kept watching for about 30 seconds

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a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a pig

If any of you are interested in playing just post your name and identifier and I'll edit them into the first post.

Migu.ribeiro

I've shared my account with a friend though.
But he's in Singapore atm, so at least in the evening it should always be me playing.

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Ze Ãœbermensch

You can add me as well. My name is Sad.Face

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Comfortably Numb

Same

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a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a pig

It's really nice, hope you guys get in too :)
My nick is Chad.archlurker

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"There is a simple, logical explanation... and there is nothing under the bed.”

I got demoted from silver to bronze on the ladder
I hate this game.

give invite plos

Already did, soz

invite!

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a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a pig

dekar.dekar

Marmalade kicks my ass so hard.

iiiiinviiiiite!

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I rushed Marmalade with Roaches. Thats so awesome, everybody has to know.

I don't suppose anyone still has an invite left? <3

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Comfortably Numb

If anyone has a invite left plz think of me i am dying to play the beta.

Gold League, bitches!

With 7 wins, 2 loses and 1 disc in the ranking games.